Finding your passion and purpose, or doing what you love, can be difficult at best. At worst, some people feel like they spend their entire lives searching for a job they truly love. A person’s career can be a fun and exciting journey of finding new opportunities and trying out different job duties, but there are some steps you can take to ensure you set yourself up for success and find a job you love.
Knowing yourself, your likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses, can have a big impact on the type of career path you choose and ultimately how happy you will be at work.
With the Idaho Career Information System, CIS, you can research more than 500 different careers and discover what some of the daily duties and working conditions are to see if your interests match up. For some, working on a computer designing websites would be perfect. For others who love to be outside all the time, this would be their worst nightmare. Use the Idaho Career Information System to easily compare these occupations as well as others side-by-side.
Jobs are as unique as the people who work in them, and it’s all about finding the right fit for you. We’ve compiled a list of six traits that people who love their jobs share. How does your current job compare?
- You enjoy your time at work.
When the alarm goes off in the morning, you don’t groan and force yourself out of bed dreading the next eight hours. Work is a happy part of your life.
- You think “I hope I get to…” instead of “I hope I don’t have to…”
The tasks and job duties you have are things you truly enjoy doing. Because of this, you show a lot a pride and initiative in the work you do, and you’re eager for the next project.
- You hardly ever look at the clock.
Remember when you were little and Christmas Day flew by and before you knew it, it was bed time? On the other hand, Friday afternoons in math class seemed to never end. When you’re in a job you love you suddenly look at the clock and realize it’s already time for your shift to end.
- You see success as fulfillment and gratification, not just money.
We all love that paycheck at the end of the week, but when you’re doing what you love, you feel so much more. Having a coworker, boss or customer tell you what a great job you’re doing is worth more than the dollar sign.
- You help without thinking.
When the team succeeds you succeed, so you don’t think twice about picking up a little extra work if someone is struggling. You don’t feel resentment for helping others out because you know your coworkers would do the same for you.
- You’re excited about what you’re doing, but you’re more excited about the people you get to do it with.
Job duties that you enjoy and are engaged in are only part of the work equation. Most of us have at least a few coworkers and appreciating the people you work with can make all the difference. You don’t have to be best friends with everyone, but you understand the importance of working as a team and that everyone brings their unique perspective to the table.
We are all constantly growing and changing. So it would make sense that what we enjoy doing for work and what makes us happy will change as well. Your first job probably won’t be your “dream job,” which is just fine. But every job, from the beginning to the end of your career can be a learning experience and help you define what it is you like. Don’t be afraid to go after the goal of a position or job that you will truly love. That is when work isn’t really work anymore.
– Jordyn.Neerdaels@labor.idaho.gov,
training, support and marketing coordinator, Career Information System